Continuous still and condenser.



No. 836,022. PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

R. W. ERWIN. CONTINUOUS STILL AND CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24.1905.

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ATTEST lNVENTOR W japh i Wilma UV.

PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

Nor 836,022.

R. W. BRWIN. CONTINUOUS STILL AND CONDENSER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24,1905.

FIG. 2.

2 SEEETS-SHEBT 2.

I lNvENToR i059]? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented: Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed June 24,1905. Serial No. 266,893.

To all-whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. ERWIN, .a citizen of the United-States, and a resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous Stills and Condensers, of which the following is a speefication contain ng a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,- forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a'continuous still and condenser, articularly' adapted for the continuous disti lation, separation, and con-- densation of wood-alcohol.

My im roved apparatus is used for obtain ing a big grade or nearly pure wood-alcohol from the crude liquor.

In the manufacture of wood-alcohol the crude liquor, which is obtained by the distillation of wood, is neutralized with milk of lime and when in this condition contains a very large per cent. of oils, liquids, and other impurities other than woodalcoholviz., ammonia compounds, acetone, allyl alcohol, ethers, and aldehydes. These various products, together with the impurities, are washed out or removed by being distilled, separated, and condensed in my mproved apparatus, lezilvilng a high-grade or nearly pure wood-alco 0.

My invention consists of a suitable boiler,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my com-- plete apparatus,.pa'rts thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate the same. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken approximately on the line 2. 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line55ofFig.1.

Referring by numerals to the accom anying drawings, 1 indicates a suitable boi er provided its lower end with an inlet-pipe 2 and with a centrally-arranged discharge or throughout the entire drain pipe 3'. Located in the lower end of the boiler is a steam-coil 4, that is utilizedfor heating the contents of the boiler.

The boiler is equipped with a manhole 5, v

safety-valve 6, and a gage-tube 7, these parts being of ordinary well-known constructlon.

Leading upwardly from the center of the boiler 1 a suitable distance is a cylindrical column 8, the upper end of which is closed b a suitable cap 9. Arranged within the co umn 8 at suitable. distances apart are erforated plates or partitions 10. Locate on top of each partition and to one side of the center thereof is a ring or circular wall 11',

preferably formed of sheet metal and having an open top. Thus when said ring or Wallis seated upon the partition 10 a circular chamher 12 is formed said wall, which chamber is open-topped. A tube 13, somewhat smaller in diameter than is the circular wall 12, has its lower end arranged within the circular chamber 12, and the u per end of said tube is fixed in and passes tlirough the partition 10, that is immediately above the partition on which the circular wall 11 is located. The upper end of this tube 11 terminates a short distance above the partition 10, that sup orts it, and said upper'end is surrounded ya circular wall 14, which is very similar 'to the circular wall 11. This circular wall forms an open-to 'ped circular chamber around the upper en of the tube 13, and positioned above the circular wall is a cap 15 in the form of an inverted pan having a vertical side wall,'this pan being supported by suitable metallic feet 16, that rest upon and are secured to the horizontal partition 10. This arran ement is continued eight of column 8,

and thus it will be'seen that a very tortuous 5 passage is provided for the vapor that rises through the column.

Located a short distance away from the cap 9 that closes the upper end of'tlie column 8 is a vertically-arran ed separatorcylinder 16 of suitable size and height, in the lower end of which cylinder is located a horizontall -arranged partition 17, and secured to said cy inderbelow this partition is a pan 18;.

A vapor-conducting pipe 19 of suitable size leads from the cap 9 on the u per end of the column 8 to and through the c osed upper end of the cylinder 16. The end of this pipe 19 within the cylinder 16 communicates with the interior of a hollow head 20, the no same being preferably circular in plan view and the diameter bf which is slightly less than the internal diameter of the cylinder 16.

A series of small vertical tubes 21 have their lower ends seated in the partition 17, and their up er ends are seated in and pass through the ottomof the hollow head 20, thus establishing communication from the interior of said head 20 with the interior of the pan 18.

A water-inlet ,ipe 22 leads to the interior of the cylinder 6 just above the partition 17, and a water-outlet pipe 23 leads from the cylinder 16 at a point near the upper end thereof.

Located a Suitabledistance below the separator-chamber just described is a hollow cylinder" or tank 24, that forms the condenser of my improved apparatus. This tank is provided in its lower end with a horizontallyarranged partition 25, and immediately below this partition and connected to the lower end of the cylinder is a pan 26. Located in the upper end of this condenser is a hollow head 27, similar to the hollow head 20,

reviously described, and connecting this ollow head with the pan 26 is a series of vertically-arranged pipes 28' A water-inlet pipe 29 leads into the condenser just above the partition 25 therein, and a water outlet pipe 30 leads from the upper end of the condenser above the hollow head 27.

Leading from the up er end of the pan 18 belOW the separator-cylinder is a vapor-pi e 31, that passes through the to of t e condenser 24 and discharges into the hollow head 27.

Leading into the column '8 at suitable points near the upper end thereof are horizontallyarranged ends 32 of a verti'call arranged pipe 33, and between the main ody portion of this vertical pipe and its horizontally-arranged ends are formed U-shaped bends 34, which form traps in said pipes, and said traps are provided with drain-cocks 35. Leadlng from the lower end of the pan 18 to the upper end of the vertically-arranged piple 33 is 'a horizontally-arranged pipe 36.

he operation of my improved a paratus is as follows; The crude liquor which is' to be distilled, in my im roved ap aratus after being neutralized with milko lime is delivered into the boiler 1 through the inlet-pipe 2. 7 Steam is now turned on in the coil 4, and as a result the crude liquor within the boiler will become so heated as that it turns to vaor, and this vapor, which is, as stated, very heavily impregnated with roducts other than wood-alcohol, will rise t rough the column 8, and in so doing it necessarily passes upwardly through the pipes 13, thence over the tops of the walls Id, beneath the lower edges of the caps 15, thence over the tops of the walls 11, and thence upwardly through i the next pipes 13. Thus the vapor follows a very tortuous passage in passing upwardly throu h the column 8 (see arrows, Fig. 2)

and t e impurities in said vapor being the first to condense willbe de osited onto the partitions 10 and will rea ily pass downwardly through the apertures 10 in the form of drops, and this constant dripping passing through the rising va or will tend to increase the condensation of t e impurities. The vaporafter passing throu h the ca 9 and dpiple 19 is delivered to the hodlow hea 20 an t e through said column back to the boiler 1.-

The wood-alcohol vapor, now freed of the impurities, passes from the pan 18 through the pipe 31 into the hollow head 27. A circulation of water is maintained within the condenser 24'b'y the constant discharge of water through the ipe 29, which water finds an outlet throug the pi e30, and this Water circulating between t e pipes 28 will cause the wood-alcohol vapor passing downwardly through said pipes to condense into liquid form, and in this form it finally discharges into the pan 26, from whence it may be drawn off as desired.

Thus it will be seen that I have constructed an apparatus for the condensation or dis-- wall'fixed. on each artition around the upper end of each tube, t e upper end of which wall is in a lane above that occupied by the upper en of the tube, and an open-bottomed cap arranged over the upper end of the tube and thecircular wall surrounding the same, the lower end of which cap is in a plane below that occu ied'by the upper end of the I wall which sai cap incloses; substantially as specified 2. In an apparatus of the class described, a boiler, a wash column leading upwardly therefrom, a cylindrical separatortank, a horizontallyarranged partition in the lower end of said tank, tubular connections from the compartment below said partition to dif ferent points in the Wash-column, a tubular connection leading from the upper end of the Wash-column throu h the upper end of the separator-tank, a ho low head located Within the upper end of the separator-tank into which the last-mentioned tubular connection discharges, a series of vertically-arranged tubes leading from the hollow head to the compartment beneath the horizontal partition in the separator, a cylindrical condensertank, a horizontally-arranged partition in the lower end thereof, a hollow head arranged in the upper end of the condenser-tank, a tubular connection from the compartment in the lower end of the separator-tank to the hollow head in the condenser-tank, and a series of tubes leading from the hollow head in the condenser-tank downwardly to the compartment beneath'the horizontally-arranged partition in the lower end of said condensertank; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT W. ERWIN.

Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, E. M. HARRINGTON. 

